Location Manchester
Job-type Permanent
Salary £Competitive
Reference 16056
Category EUR

Looking for an opportunity to embed a sustainability strategy that drives true value creation within a business known for its continuous innovation?

The Vita Group is a PE owned, leading provider of differentiated foam products. Working at the cutting edge of science and design for over 70 years, Vita develops, manufactures, and markets products for the built environment and interior space, automotive and transportation, medical, leisure and more.

Having established key ambitions within its 'Enhancing Everyday Life' ESG strategy, which includes driving operations towards a circular economy and optimising resources to help the business and its customers deliver against their net zero targets, Vita is now seeking a Group Head of Sustainability to deliver against and evolve an embedded and future-focused vision.

Working in collaboration with several key working groups and Vita's Senior Leadership Team, you will own and deliver the strategy, monitor its execution, and support the project management of strategic sustainability initiatives within the Group. This will involve strategy implementation, data capture, monitoring, analysis, and influencing improved performance across the business.

You'll have the opportunity to join an entrepreneurial business known for its innovation and with a diverse spread of customers.

To deliver against Vita's ambitions, you'll spend your time:

  • Horizon scanning/understanding the external environment and translating key needs and requirements into practical insights that can be used by the business, including key legislation changes in areas such as packaging materials, recycling requirements and extended producer responsibility

  • Strengthening management systems to improve transparency of performance and inform strategy execution.

  • Helping each area of the business to understand key life cycle assessments and utilise this information to further develop sustainability activities within the Group

  • Establishing a valuable network of external stakeholders to support Vita Group in developing its expertise and potential partnerships, such as the UN Global Compact and the Ellen MacArthur Foundation

  • Working closely with Vita's procurement team to establish a robust ethical and sustainable supply chain strategy, including a roadmap to net zero.

  • Coordinating the production of the annual sustainability report and other key collateral (e.g. information that supports sales teams, internal and external communications etc).


The Group is looking for a Head of Sustainability who shares Vita's values of Safety, Integrity, and Innovation, working in a Responsible and Resourceful way.

If this sounds like the right opportunity to take the next step in your career, we're looking for someone who brings experience in:

  • Leading on sustainability within a B2B manufacturer, either in-house or as a consultant.

  • Working with key standards/bodies/rating agencies key to Vita's ESG commitments (such as GRI, SASB, Ecovadis, SBTi).

  • Implementing Group-wide management systems paired with strong stakeholder engagement and communication skills.

You'll bring Programme and Innovation focused sustainability experience and be able to prioritise value creation over simply ticking the right boxes. You'll be able to show examples of where you've moved the needle within an organisation on ESG and have your finger on the pulse of what's coming next regarding sustainability.

Vita Group has identified sustainability as a key pillar in their future as a business and is looking to invest in a future leader for their organisation. This is an exciting opportunity to join a business built on product innovation and great customer relationships. You'll be motivated by the opportunity to work on the commercial decisions connected to good ESG and enjoy influencing the strategies of your customers and suppliers as well as within the business itself.

Flexible working supported.

Reach out today to discuss this exciting role with Tanith tanith.allen@acre.com